The is a reasonably balanced biography of H. P. Lovecraft. de Camp's preface explains much about how and why he chose to write the book, and it's clear that although de Camp doesn't quite understand some aspects of Lovecraft's life, in many ways he came to respect Lovecraft as a person, even while decrying several of his choices in life. ( )

This book contains alot of interesting facts derived from Lovecraft's correspondence with a variety of individuals including family and literary peers. It is also rather disorganized and repetitive. A writer with more enthusiasm for his subject would produce a much better biography. ( )